participation in

‘Tarhana’ is the name of an old, traditional Anatolian soup, some say it used to be the Sultan’s favorite.

It is made by villagers throughout Balkan , Anatolia... all the way to Turkmenistan. As in any traditional recipe that travels through time and space some ingredients of Tarhana have changed along the way. In this process, cooks from Eastern Europe to Central Asia added their own Oriental flavors and soon Tarhana was served with urban tastes, unique for each region.

Tarhana is a tribe of musicians that is based in Amsterdam and founded by Sjahin During. They choose to blend the traditional Balkan and Oriental Flavours with Afro-Anatolian grooves. Spicing up Ottoman sound-scapes, digital Sufi grooves, Gypsy melodies, North African rhythms and sounds from these ancient cultures.

The collaboration offers a rendition of ancient traditions, interlacing the polyrhythms of Eastern music, with its motifs, sounds and samples. Anatolian melodies are reinterpreted and redesigned for the present generations of dancers and listeners.

Tarhana, using ancient Oriental herbs to discover unique urban tastes, celebrates the rich Anatolian inheritance to create new sounds and rhythmical innovations. All prepared to be served for current dancefloors.

CRITICS: Financial Times 2007: "Balkan-Afro-Anatolian groovers Tarhana (from Holland) got together with local musicians from the Langa and Manganiyar communities to produce a kind of soup of world music that veered interestingly towards acid jazz". (International Rajasthan Folk Festival 2007)

Volkskrant 2008: "World Music formation Tarhana, brought together by the percussionist Sjahin During, is the most exciting that is on offer in the genre of world music in the Netherlands. This is due not only to the delightful percussion section, performing sharply and in unison, but also because of the dynamic interaction of the six musicians".

De Volkskrant 2006: "To be able to operate at this level, one should be well spiked on ice!" ( typical Dutch saying)

The Jordan Times 2006 : "In an avantgarde bouquet that blends music from over five different cultures, "Tarhana" manages to create a rich sound that captivates the modern ear while it still beats with antiquity."